Kleen Energy Plant Should Be Fully Operational 'Any Day Now'

MIDDLETOWN — More than a year after an explosion ravaged the Kleen Energy power plant and killed six workers, the rebuilt facility is ready to go into operation, according to the principal construction contractor, O&G Industries.

"The dedicated efforts and perseverance of O&G Industries, its subcontractors and the project's many hard working men and women have made this important part of Connecticut's infrastructure available for commercial operation," O&G said in a statement Friday.

For the last several months, workers at the 620-megawatt electric generation plant have been test-firing turbines and running the generators in preparation for its startup, O&G said.

Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said the plant is expected to become fully operational "any day now."

"We're certainly looking forward to the plant becoming operational," Giuliano said. If it doesn't, he added, the six workers "died for nothing."

The natural-gas explosion on Feb. 7, 2010, which occurred before the plant was completed, also injured several dozen workers. The blast destroyed the rear of the largest building, known as the "power block," which encloses the turbines and their containment structures, Giuliano said.

The plant, which cost more than $1 million to rebuild, was initially scheduled to start operation on Nov. 30, 2010. The explosion pushed the opening date to April 30.

Last year, after the owners agreed to a series of safety measures, including a ban on using high-pressure natural gas to clear the pipes, the Connecticut Siting Council voted to push the date by which the plant was to be built and operational to this month.

The cleaning procedure, known as a "gas blow," is believed to have been the source of the explosion.

The U.S. Chemical and Safety Board reported that workers at the plant had conducted a series of 15 natural gas blows over the course of four hours on the day of the explosion.

"The plant stands as a memorial to those who lost their lives in its construction and a testament to the workers and management of the construction industry, who capably face any challenge to build a better Connecticut," O&G's statement said.